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National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council Applauds Senators Cassidy and Perdue for Resolution Opposing the Targeted Harassment of ICE Officers and Employees

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, National Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Council President Chris Crane released the following statement after Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and David Perdue (R-GA) introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate, “Opposing the targeted harassment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and employees and reaffirming the fundamental principle that public safety services should be provided without discrimination.”

“On behalf of the men and women of ICE, I want to thank Senators Cassidy and Perdue for introducing this resolution and for standing in solidarity with ICE law enforcement officers and staff, especially at a time like this. The actions taken by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler against ICE employees living and working in Portland are reprehensible, and we believe unconstitutional. We feel nothing short of blessed that no ICE employees suffered serious injury or death as a result of the mayor’s negligent actions. We applaud Senators Cassidy and Perdue for their efforts to bring attention to and condemn what ICE employees have gone through in Portland and around the country, and urge all Members of the Senate to support this resolution.

Certain elected officials, political leaders, and members of the press have engaged in hateful and often false rhetoric against our officers and employees encouraging widespread death threats and the targeting of ICE officers, employees, and their families. For these leaders, officials, and the media to enflame this type of hatred toward our officers and staff – at a time when law enforcement personnel are being targeted and have been assassinated on our nation’s streets – marks a truly dark time in our country’s history. It’s comforting to know that some in Congress, like Senators Cassidy and Perdue, still understand the value and importance of supporting the brave and courageous men and women of law enforcement.

National security, or even basic border security, does not exist without the interior enforcement of a nation’s immigration laws, as the horrific events of 9/11 and indeed terrorist attacks worldwide have proven. With over 2 million criminal aliens estimated to be currently residing in the U.S., our jails and prisons are already dramatically overcrowded and local police are often overwhelmed, begging for ICE and its resources to assist in making our communities safer. Those calling for the abolishment of ICE don’t understand the significant threat to our nation’s security and the safety of American communities that their ideas present.”

The National ICE Council represents the over 6,000 rank and file ICE law enforcement officers and support personnel who enforce our nation's immigration laws, apprehend dangerous criminals and keep our communities safe each and every day. The men and women of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) serve in all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and in Fiscal Year 2017 made 143,470 overall administrative arrests. Of these arrests, 92 percent had a criminal conviction, a pending criminal charge, were an ICE fugitive or were processed with a reinstated final order. (Source: Fiscal Year 2017 ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Report. https://www.ice.gov/removal-statistics/2017)